'We are definitely going to fight this': East Van tenants living with no power, refuse to leave
Tenants living in a building on Joyce Street in Vancouver are in a battle with their landlord after living without power for more than a month.
On Aug. 15, a fire broke out in the back of the building. While the damage appeared to be minimal, the property manager informed tenants that the building’s electrical supply required major upgrades for power to be turned back on.
BC Hydro confirmed to CTV News that power was shut down due to an electrical issue and that professional work was required.
Tenants were also informed that they needed to move out immediately and that their rent for the remainder of the month would be credited.
“It does feel like we're being pushed out,” said Jenina Solis, a mother of two who also rents commercial space in the building for her business. “The only solution that they have brought up to this point is to leave the units and get our compensation for the rezoning.”
Further complicating the issue, the building is up for rezoning approval with plans to turn the area into a 100-plus-unit mixed-use building. The current building could be torn down as early as summer 2025.
“We have been seeking ways to get power back for the tenants through the engagement of electrical contractors and electrical engineering firms,” said Jerry Yeh, property manager with Noble & Associates Property Management. “Nevertheless, based on their guidance a realistic timeline for the electrical upgrade project would take at least two years.”
“We are definitely going to fight this,” said Anna Tu, a tenant in the building. “All of the tenants have come together and formed a collective.”
The tenants, with support from the Vancouver Tenants Union, took the dispute to the Residential Tenancy Branch. It ruled that the landlord needed to pay for a “mutually agreed upon” electrician to provide an additional opinion on the matter.
On Wednesday, the electrician’s report was sent to the landlord and tenants, stating that the company agreed with the original report that the work would take “approximately 12 to 24 months to complete.”
“Please understand that the landlord is not evicting the tenants out of malicious intent or business interests,” said Yeh. “This is a safety issue and the last resort taken when there is just no faster and safer way to get the building back to being in habitable condition.”
Some tenants have purchased generators and have asked the landlord for compensation.
“Generators are meant to be used as a temporary measure only,” said Yeh. “Besides, prolonged usage of generators also poses hazards such as carbon monoxide poisoning, fire and electrocution.”
While tenants would receive compensation for being displaced, they fear an apartment in the area is no longer a viable option.
“It's anywhere upwards of $700 to an extra thousand dollars a month, and that's just not affordable,” said Tu.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
BREAKING Explosions heard in Iran, Syria as Middle East braces for Israeli retaliation
Loud explosions were heard in Iran and near Syria's capital early on Saturday, state media in both countries said, the possible start of an awaited response by Israel to a ballistic-missile barrage carried out by Iran on Oct. 1.
BREAKING Scotiabank users report issues with mobile login, online banking
Scotiabank users are reporting issues with mobile login and online banking, according to third-party website downdetector.ca.
'Get away from your inner circle': Liberal MP 'shocked' PM didn't take more time to reflect on calls to resign
Longtime Liberal MP Wayne Long says Prime Minister Justin Trudeau should give more weight to the views of his backbenchers in determining his future leading the Party, rather than relying on those in his immediate orbit.
Mother who beat and starved her 5-year-old son to death sentenced to over 50 years in prison
A New Hampshire woman was sentenced Friday to 53 years to life in prison in the death of her 5-year-old son, who was beaten, starved and exposed to drugs before his 19-pound body was found buried in a Massachusetts park in 2021.
An abrupt goodbye to a guerilla goldfish aquarium beneath a leaky Brooklyn fire hydrant
A makeshift aquarium that popped up this summer in a puddle beneath a leaky fire hydrant has been paved over, to the dismay of neighbors who turned the area into a hangout spot and goldfish shrine.
Canadian warship missile test aborted mid-flight after communication failure
A Canadian navy missile test was aborted mid-flight this week after controllers lost communication with the projectile off the coast of southern California.
'I did everything I could': Canada Post driver recounts helping save woman from fiery Tesla crash
Canada Post driver Rick Harper recounts how he and others help save a woman from a Tesla that caught fire after crashing into a guardrail on Lake Shore Boulevard.
'The power of nostalgia': N.B. archivist creates highway time machine
The Provincial Archives of New Brunswick (PANB) has uploaded dozens of dashboard camera videos from the 1970s to their YouTube channel.
'Violence is not good': UW stabber apologizes at end of sentencing hearing
Geovanny Villalba-Aleman, the man who stabbed three people in a gender studies class at the University of Waterloo, says he ‘acted dumb’.